Once I finish this project of a suite of food images for a food lovers' guide to my area, I'll be ready, more than ready, to plunge back into the water (paintings) again! Actually, though I love color, I've really enjoyed this dip into black and white world. I have 20 images---thought I 'd share a few with you. Btw, Daniel Smith's Lunar Black is a FINE product! It granulates so exuberantly, you almost think you're painting in color!
I seldom share photos of my life here, but I did when my daughter was married two years ago, early June, in our garden. My stepson was married yesterday, at church. The weddings couldn't have been more different, though both made all of us giddy with joy. (The darling little flower girls, my nieces Lena and Grace have made an encore appearance, as you will see by clicking on the link above!) I'm posting just a few snaps from the wedding and the day before, nothing official. Drawings and paintings return this week!
I've posted many sketches of Crook's Corner, our favorite local restaurant, over the years. And with such delicious food (chef Bill Smith is world famous and much awarded) and great ambience, why the heck NOT go, drink, dine, and sketch? Do you have a better idea? Aha! I thought not!
Life continues to be a bit complicated and HOT! (It was 95F today!), but all will be well and run more smoothly soon!
Way, way too much going on behind the scenes. Some of it is good, some not. This, too, is life. Hope you are faring well.
Why this, why now? Well, because I'm in the midst of producing a bunch of black and white images for an illustration job and I NEEDED COLOR! This sketch of a bowl of oranges, limes, lemons and a tangerine or two dates from my April trip to Santa Barbara. I was staying with an amazing, talented, and accomplished businesswoman who, on top of all that aforementioned good stuff, had practically a whole citrus orchard in her own yard! Can you imagine? Not only does she have access each year to the heavenly fragrance of orange and lime blossom, but she gets the fruit, too! Every day! For breakfast, for lunch, for dinner!
In February, I started power walking three times a week, an hour and a half each time, all around my town. I feel reborn! Not only do I get the endorphins whipped into a frenzy, but I'm getting to know my town in a new way---I'm finding streets and neighborhoods I had no clue about. I've run these streets, I've biked these streets. I've driven these streets. But walking these streets... that's a different story.
As is my wont, I've thrown myself into this new pursuit with all my heart. Here are some books I've read on walking, for example:
The Lost Art of Walking by Geoff Nicholson.
A thinnish book that meanders a bit too much, mixing some history with personal anecdotes and a filler chapter on photographers. Worth reading if you stumble on it (get it?), but not worth making a trek for. (Oops.)
The Places in Between by Rory Stewart. He walked ACROSS AFGHANISTAN! In 2002! He's young, he's extremely passionate! Very worth reading, especially in these times when we need to cure our ignorance about this country and its neighbors. On Walking by Joseph Amato. Just started this one. More scholarly than Nicholson. There's lots of anthropology and careful historical context-laying. Not a page turner, but then, we weren't expecting it to be. Were we?
Combining sketching or painting with walking isn't my focus right now, since I'm in it for the hard workout, but others do this very successfully. Julie Oakley is one such, a pioneer sketcher/walker, whose One Mile from Home project can be seen here. Katherine Tyrrell is another such. As is HER wont, she's organized a whole new group called Sketchercise and she's invited me to participate. I'll keep a sketch log of things I pick up while walking and draw later.
I found some wonderful shoes for summer walking. They're pictured above. They're lightweight (so packable) but sturdy and supportive. I think they're technically water shoes, but, good. If I encounter any rushing torrents or tsunamis in our neighborhoods, I'll be ready for them.
Oh, and when the time for Brittany comes, I'll be walking, I'll be sketching, I'll be painting. I'll be wearing my shoes.
What about you? Want to go for a walk?
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